# I’d argue that the BEAM needs a prolog-y language too — erlang is prolog-
like in syntax only…

(I don’t think erlang should become more prolog-like. I just think a more
prolog-like language would benefit from the kind of…

* * *

I’d argue that the BEAM needs a prolog-y language too — erlang is prolog-like
in syntax only (lacking unification, backtracking, cuts, and other really
fundamental constructions). This really screwed me up when I was first working
with it — I expected functions to be reversible, expand unbound variables to
the herbrand universe, etc.

(I don’t think erlang should become more prolog-like. I just think a more
prolog-like language would benefit from the kind of message-passing & implicit
multithreading that BEAM makes straightforward.)

By [John Ohno](https://medium.com/@enkiv2) on [April 10,
2018](https://medium.com/p/ffc0d9dddbbb).

[Canonical link](https://medium.com/@enkiv2/id-argue-that-the-beam-needs-a-
prolog-y-language-too-erlang-is-prolog-like-in-syntax-only-ffc0d9dddbbb)

Exported from [Medium](https://medium.com) on September 18, 2020.